A Christian Support Group of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Tafawa Balewa, Dass and Bogoro Councils of Bauchi State has faulted endorsement of the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.
The group insisted that though its members remain loyal to the party, they would not support APC’s same-faith ticket, because according to them, a “Muslim-Muslim marriage” didn’t work for Tinubu.
Chairman of the group, Mallam Yakubu Garba, while addressing a press conference in Tafawa Balewa at the weekend, said the group would not go against the position of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, who warned against voting for a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
Garba noted: “Those Christians who endorsed Tinubu said their decision was because of the achievements of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu (Jagaban) as a former governor of Lagos State. So, we ask them, was Jagaban’s government, then, a same-faith ticket?
“If it is his achievements in Lagos that has solely become his selling point, why does he need a Muslim-Muslim ticket to sell his candidacy? Why must he jeopardise the peace, justice, inclusivity and stability of a fragile Nigeria to achieve his presidential ambition?
“If Jagaban so much believes in the Muslim-Muslim ticket, why didn’t he practise it in Lagos State? There has never been a same-faith ticket in the history of Lagos State. If Jagaban believes in Islam, to the extent of proving it by a Muslim-Muslim ticket, why didn’t he practise it in marriage? Muslim-Muslim ticket seems impossible in Tinubu’s family, is it in Nigeria that it will work?”
He said Dogara’s decision to support Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is a justification of the fact that “he (Dogara) is not a religious bigot.”
Garba added: “He represents peace, justice and inclusiveness. And that is in line with our religious teachings. Therefore, we, the 95 per cent Christians of his constituency, are solidly behind him and behind CAN, and will never support a same-faith ticket.
